EPILOGUE
RAVEN
“TO HELL WITH I do. This dress and that preacher ain’t keepin’ me from what I own.” His throaty voice oozed like honey through my veins. Colt hitched my leg up, a generous volume of tulle surrounding the both of us as we lay against a stack of hay.
“Tradition says—”
“Since when have I given two shits about tradition when it comes to you? I want you when I want you.” He nuzzled my earlobe, sinking one long finger into my pussy as he did it and causing a soft moan to melt past my lips. “There’s my slutty girl.”
He worked his hand inside my panties, and my orgasm was floating just out of the ether before I heard the zip of his suit pants. In the next instant, he was slamming into me so hard the bale of hay we were lying on scraped across the floor.
A few voices mumbled in the distance. Colt’s mouth covered mine in a probing kiss to stifle any groans as he worked into me harder and faster.
We’d been going at this pace for three months straight. That was the longest I could get him to give me to plan this wedding. Eden had been a godsend, helping me down to every last detail. Colt had not only convinced Nash to let us get married right here, in the barn where so many of our firsts had taken place. He’d also managed to get Nash to sell us that corner lot, and Colt had been working on blueprints with a local architect to build our own little love nest right here on the ranch.
“Made me the luckiest man alive when you said yes, Caroline.” He slipped his tongue past my lips, twisting and turning, tangling me from the inside out, taking every last drop. I was his; he could always take whatever he wanted. I’d give him my life if that’s what love required. Thankfully, it didn’t. In fact, our love had become more about giving life.
“You made me the happiest woman alive last night.”
“Mmm, last night was good,” he hummed at my ear. “Should have known you were late.” He licked the seam of my lips. “Can’t believe we needed two pink lines to confirm it.”
“Two turned into three,” I murmured, catching his lips in a soft kiss, his cock still hard and buried deep inside.
“Sutherland!” Nash called through the barn. “Get your ass down here. Everyone’s waitin’!”
A giggle tore through me when Colt groaned and brushed his forehead against mine. “Somedays I wanna kill him.”
“You’ve got a proper bromance happening, Mr. Sutherland,” I teased when he pulled his dick out of me, tucking the thick girth into his pants and zipping up.
“Let’s get on with it, gorgeous. Need to make you mine officially.” He pulled the layers of tulle and satin into place around my legs, straightening my hair before dropping one last kiss on my lips. “Love you harder and deeper than I’ve ever loved anything or anyone.”
“I love you too.” I grinned up at my soon-to-be new husband.
“Meet you at the other end of the aisle?” A cocky grin tilted his lips.
“I can’t wait,” I breathed before he walked me over to the ladder, helping me down effortlessly, two rungs at a time, before plopping me on my feet.
“Good thing I chose the right footwear for today.” I lifted my dress, showing off the heel of my cowgirl boot.
“Mmm, can’t wait to strip you of everything but those when we’re done with this show.”
I smacked him on the shoulder. He walked backward, throwing me a kiss as he made his way out into the bright sunlight of the barn where all of our guests waited.
I sucked in a deep breath when the sweet strains of Canon in D started over the speakers.
That was my cue.
I stepped out of the shadows where I’d been hiding, just in time to catch sight of a broad form coming up to my side.
Oh my God.
I placed a hand over my mouth in shock. “Daddy?”
Tears burned in my father’s eyes, a few cutting their way down his stubbled cheeks.
I hadn’t seen him in four years, and yet he’d seemed to age twenty.
“Congratulations, baby. I hope you're not mad. Colt called me a while back, explained everything to me. I’m so sorry, Caroline. I did the wrong thing way back then. I see that now. I’ve learned a lot of damn lessons over the years. But the first and most important is that family is forever. And as long as you’re happy, then so am I.”
I swiped at my own rogue tears, heart feeling fuller than it ever had, all because of Colt. Colt had known that it bothered me deep down that my dad wouldn’t be here for my day, wouldn’t walk me down the aisle… “I’m so glad you’re here!”
I launched myself into my dad’s arms, and we hugged and cried.
“Don’t go ruinin’ your makeup now. Your mama would kill me.”
“Mom’s here too?”
“Of course she is, sweetheart. We can catch up later, but I think everyone is waitin’ on you…”
I nodded, swallowing the frog that’d hopped up into my throat. “Will you walk me down the aisle, Daddy?”
He froze, eyes landing on mine as they watered with more emotion. “I’d be honored to.”
He held out his arm, and I hooked my hand in my dad’s elbow.
“Love you, baby girl.”
“I love you too, Dad. I love you so much.”
“It’s weird. Just got you back, and now I’m giving you away already.”
“Not giving me away, Dad. Colt brought us together. He’s a good man. I’m so lucky to have him.”
“You’re just as lucky as he is to have you.” Dad placed a kiss on my nose, tightening his grip on my arm before we took the first steps down the aisle.
Tears of joy streamed down my face as I locked eyes with the man I loved waiting for me.
I mouthed my words of adoration to him.
I couldn’t wait to be his.
To share my life with him. Share his last name, make a home, and start our family.
I was the luckiest girl around.
I reached the end of the aisle, looping my hands with Colt’s, when he leaned in and whispered, “Surprise, gorgeous.”
“Every day is a surprise with you.” I beamed up at him.
“Just trying to give back what you give me every day.” His thumb swiped across the ring on my finger. “Life.”